Free Traffic Legal Advice

Live cases legal advice => Speeding and other criminal offences => Topic started by: mjlazer on February 20, 2026, 06:59:35 pm

Title: Re: Speeding ticket in Swiss rental car by French police
Post by: baroudeur on February 22, 2026, 12:24:46 pm
It might just be that Enterprise will have your UK licence details and address on their hire form and the authorities there will write to you in the UK.Unless you'r planning on going back there soon I doubt you'll hear any more about it as theres no way of chasing foreign debts through the UK courts.



Even if Enterprise did pass on the op's details to the French an Avis de Contravention would need to be issued to the op to progess the matter. However, no action will be taken as they cannot recover fines in the UK.

The French do set up a ghost licence  (permis virtuel) for foreign offenders but whether any future visits to France will invoke any action is likely to be zero.

Title: Re: Speeding ticket in Swiss rental car by French police
Post by: roythebus on February 21, 2026, 01:13:01 pm
It might just be that Enterprise will have your UK licence details and address on their hire form and the authorities there will write to you in the UK.Unless you'r planning on going back there soon I doubt you'll hear any more about it as theres no way of chasing foreign debts through the UK courts.

If it's any help, I had an Enterprise hire car in Belgium last year and they advised me I had 2 speeding tickets. but nothing ever received t my home address as the helpful chap in the office somehow took my address down incorrectly from my passport and driving licence! It cost me the €25 admin fee through my credit card. :)
Title: Re: Speeding ticket in Swiss rental car by French police
Post by: baroudeur on February 21, 2026, 12:16:09 pm
Hi all

This may be an immediate dead end but worth asking the experts.

I was driving an Enterprise rental car from a Swiss branch through France.

Am I right in assuming the whole NtK/NtH and PoFA 2012 doesn't apply to fines from French authorities? As in, I can't just say 'You can't prove it was me', can I?

I've also read that French authorities will just write off a fine for a car with a non-French plate, but I'm not sure I want to take the risk.

The fine is €90 and Enterprise just took their cut (admin fee of 50 Swiss Francs) automatically from my credit card today.

I was approaching a toll booth on the motorway but didn't think about it being a speed controlled zone (probably zoned out for a second) and saw a flash. The ticket stated I was fined with doing 75 kph in a 50 kph.

Any insight would be much appreciated, but I'm prepared to have to pay the fine.

Thanks

The French will not chase a speeding penalty normally because they cannot obtain a UK registered vehicle keeper's details.  Although France and Switzerland have an agreement on exchange of details for motoring offences if the hirer is a UK licence holder I suspect the hire company just charges their fee, notifies the French and the ticket is written off.
 
If the only paperwork you have is a letter from the hire company and you have not received an 'Avis de Contravention' French speeding ticket in your name you can't pay the fine anyway.
Title: Re: Speeding ticket in Swiss rental car by French police
Post by: mjlazer on February 20, 2026, 07:18:44 pm
Thanks DWMB2, I'm here to learn. So your point is well taken 😅
Title: Re: Speeding ticket in Swiss rental car by French police
Post by: DWMB2 on February 20, 2026, 07:13:44 pm
Quote
Am I right in assuming the whole NtK/NtH and PoFA 2012 doesn't apply to fines from French authorities? As in, I can't just say 'You can't prove it was me', can I?
At risk of departing slightly from the case in hand, this wouldn't work in England either, schedule 4 of PoFA covers private parking charges, not criminal allegations.
Title: Speeding ticket in Swiss rental car by French police
Post by: mjlazer on February 20, 2026, 06:59:35 pm
Hi all

This may be an immediate dead end but worth asking the experts.

I was driving an Enterprise rental car from a Swiss branch through France.

Am I right in assuming the whole NtK/NtH and PoFA 2012 doesn't apply to fines from French authorities? As in, I can't just say 'You can't prove it was me', can I?

I've also read that French authorities will just write off a fine for a car with a non-French plate, but I'm not sure I want to take the risk.

The fine is €90 and Enterprise just took their cut (admin fee of 50 Swiss Francs) automatically from my credit card today.

I was approaching a toll booth on the motorway but didn't think about it being a speed controlled zone (probably zoned out for a second) and saw a flash. The ticket stated I was fined with doing 75 kph in a 50 kph.

Any insight would be much appreciated, but I'm prepared to have to pay the fine.

Thanks